WHITE PLAINS—The Town of New Castle and the City of
White Plains have reaped top environmental honors as participants in the New
York Power Authority (NYPA)/Th!nk Clean Commute program, an ongoing
demonstration of electric station cars.

Both municipalities were recipients of the Westchester
Municipal Planning Federation’s (WMPF) Achievement Award for Environmental
Conservation at ceremonies held June 6 at Crystal Bay, in the City of
Peekskill.

Launched in October, the NYPA/Th!nk Clean Commute
program offers train commuters the opportunity to lease 100 Ford Th!nkcity electric vehicles (EVs)—a two-seater with a driving range of about 50
miles and a top speed of approximately 55 miles per hour.

The Chappaqua Station in New Castle and the White
Plains Station are the two locations in Westchester County where commuters
are participating in the program, in which special parking is provided for
the EVs, along with charging stations. Altogether, there are seven regional
municipalities in the NYPA/Ford demonstration of the zero-emission Th!nkcity
vehicle.

“We applaud our partners in New Castle and White
Plains, who’ve been eager participants in our efforts to fulfill Governor
George E. Pataki’s commitment to air quality improvements,” said NYPA
President Eugene W. Zeltmann.

“New Castle has been an enthusiastic partner in this
pilot program because it benefits the environment by reducing air pollution,
has increased the number of cars we can fit into a limited station parking
area and demonstrates the efficient use of energy. The WMPF award
recognizes that this innovative project can have extensive additional
beneficial impacts. We look forward to being able to expand it in the
future,” said Marion S. Sinek, Town of New Castle Supervisor.

“This magnificent program serves as another example of
government agencies working together to pool resources and talents to
improve the quality of life for city residents,” said White Plains Mayor
Joseph M. Delfino. “I applaud this new partnership between NYPA and the
City of White Plains.”

The Westchester Municipal Planning Federation is a
volunteer association of officials from the county’s 45 municipal
governments. The federation conducts a series of training programs for
municipal planning and zoning board members.

NYPA supplies about a quarter of the power needs of New
York State, including Westchester County and its municipal governments.